Latch.



A. F. WINTERS.

LATCH.

APPUCATION FILED mAYza. 191a.

Patented Jan. 28,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

atrozuctg A. F. WINTERS.

LATCH.

MAY 23, 1913.

APPLICATION FILED Pzitented Jah.28,1919,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

J/ 9 lq/exaaderlfl V/bifens 5%. w mi; jy wa 55 the line -5 of Fig. 2.

ALEXANDER F. WINTERS, 0F GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

LATCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 28, 1919.

Application filed May 23, 1918. Serial No. 236,215.

To all hom it may concern:

Be it known that I ALEXANDER F. WIN- rnns, a citizen of the UnitedStates of America, residing at Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent andState of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inLatches; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to a latch construction, designed for useparticularly in connection with the doors of refrigerators, though it isto be understood that the latch is generally applicable to all types ofswinging doors to hold the same in closed positlon. The invention isconcerned with many novel improvements in the construction shown in myformer application for patent Ser. No. 210,973 filed January 9, 1918,whereby all of the parts going to make up the complete latch structuremay be made entirely from stamped metal instead of casting the same asshown in said prior application.

A further object and purpose of the invention consists in the provisionof a novel bearing relation between the handle of the latch and the caseor housing on which the handle is pivotally mounted, whereby the latchcan not become distorted nor the handle shift in position with respectto the case due to strains imparted thereto, such as might otherwiseoccur without such bearing con struction. Another object and purpose ofthe invention consists in the provision of a latch structure which maybe made almost entirely of sheet steel making one very durable yeteconomical to construct. These and many other objects and purposes willappear fully as understanding of the invention is had from the followingdescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, inwhich- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the latch and keeper usedtherewith, the latch being attached to the door and the keeper to thecasing with the door in closed position. t Fig. 2 is a front elevationof the construction shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the latch from the I rear side thereof."

i- Fig; 4: is a plan of the blank from which the handle and a strikerlug is made.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section substantially on Fig. 6 is an upper endview of the latch, a fragment of the door being shown in section.

Fig. 7 is a rear view of the combined handle and striker lug as itappears before at tachment to the latch casing.

Fig. 8 shows in plan, side elevation, and front elevation, thedetachable bearing shoe associated with the handle inside of the casmg.

Fig. 9 is a side elevation of a sheet metal member attached to thehandle having a part adapted to pass through a slot in the case withwhich the shoe has detachable connection, an

Fig. 10 is a side elevation of the case before attachment of the handle.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the several views ofthe drawings.

The keeper is permanently secured to the door casing or jamb 1 and isbent from a fiat relatively thin bar of metal into the form shown at 2in Fig. 1, terminating at its front ortion in an upwardly turned part 3,behind which the striker lug of the latch is adapted to locate when thedoor is in closed position. The keeper is attached to. the door casingby screws or other suitable fasteners. The door 4 carries the latchwhich in construction comprises a base .5 with an out wardly projectinghousing 6 formed intogrally therewith, the housing being of curvedoutline and having a slot 7 in the central outer portion thereof. Thebase is secured to the door by a plurality of screws or other suitablefastening devices, being located closely adjacent the free vertical edgethereof and from the side of the housing, at the edge of the door, apart 8 is stamped, having a depending lip 9 which lies directly againstthe edge of the door as shown. In the side of the part 8 a centralopening 10 is formed, the edges of which are serrated, as indicated at11. for a purpose which will later appear. The housing and base aredrawn and stamped from a single piece of sheet metal, preferably, softsteel, though any other suitable metal may be used.

A handle 12 is pivotally mounted on the housing. This handle, togetherwith a striker lu adapted to pass over the upturned enc 3 of the keeper,are a single piece of sheet metal 13 of the form shown in ig. 4. Thehandle at its upper end lies directly over the housing 6 and has formedfrom an inwardly extending car 14 passing along:

side the part 8 of the housing heretofore described, while the strikerlug 15 extends so as to pass across the meeting edges of the door andeasing into position such that it will lie behind the upturned end 3when the .doior'isuin .closed position, the lug being formed on itsunder side with anupwardly and inwardly inclined face 16 which strikesagainstthe part 3 of the keeper as thedoor isjclosed,,riding over theupper end of the keeper the same as described in my former application,for I patent. The ear 1 1 is stamped with an opening to receive a pivottherefor and inzthe stamping a portion of .the metal is pressed beyondthe surface of said nart 14,;forming an annular ring 17 around Which awasher 18 may be located,

disposed between the part 8 of the housing :6 andthe. depending ear 14of the handle. ,A tubularrivet 19 is used topivotally connect'the handlewith the housing, it passing through the car 14, the annular ring 17,and the opening 10 in the housing 6. A

punch is. used to spread the inner end of the .son'ithe rivet-equalto'the thickness of the 14, and the .annularring .17, stamped thereon.

OnFthe innerside and ,at the upper end ofdtheihandlaa member of sheetmetal is nmaat in a top 20 and two inwardly extending spaced apart legs21 and 22, the formerv of which :at its inner end is provided withoppositely extending projections 23 adapted to. enter'slots 24: formedin the upper and lower sides of the handle and .istrikernlugwmember, andserving to rein- Yforce thesame and prevent separation of adjacentedgesof the completed handle and lug member when formed into shape from theblank shownin Fig. 4.-. The opposite leg22 passes through the slot 7 ofthehous- .ing and immediately below the inner surface of :the raisedcurved portion of the housing, a eurvedjslot' 25 is-cut atits upper dgeex- 5stending'partially therethrough. This memher .is permanentlysecured in place to the .handle by. means of -a rivet 26,1though anyother. "suitable form of permanent connection may .usdyspot welding forinstance. I A bearing shoe islocated within the housingibeingformed froma pieceof sheet metal rand eomprising a curved. portion 27 -slotted a.partof .itslength, as indicated at28, at its .;.-f-ree.,end. irFromjthewother end thereof a .part 29 is bent'bto extend into the housing.forea. distance, integral with which. two

..eunve d. arms .3 0 are formed; lying directly "above 'the part 29, thesame, together with the part 29 as a backing serving as a socket .toreceive one end of, a coiled pressure spring 31. The opposite end of thespring is held by a'hook formed at the end of a strip of metal 32 outfrom the housing 6 when the slot 7 is formed; such metal being bent backinto the housing, as shown in Fig. 5, to make the support for the upperend of the spring 31.

The bearing shoe is attached to the inwardly extending leg22, 'its slot28 passing to either side of the leg 22 back of the slot 25 therein,slot 25 in ,turn receiving that part of theshoe 27 above'its slot 28,being held in position by the pressure of the spring 31. The handle isstopped in proper position by engagement of the leg 22 against thehousing 6 at the lower end. of theslot 7. It is apparent that ongrasping'the'handle 12 and pulling outwardly thereon, the handle may beturned around the axis of the rivet 19, compressing-the spring 31 andeffecting the elevation of the striker lug 15 above the upturned end 3of the keeper. "It will be apparent in this connection that the shoe 27bears against the under side of the housing 6 and no distortion of thehandle with respect to the housing can take place,

such as might otherwise occur werejthe only connection between thehandle and the housing at the pivot 19' Which'is located as far inwardlyaspossible.

From-the foregoing, it will be'apparent that I have constructed a latchcapable of being formed entirely of stamped sheet metal, and one ofespecial strength and du l ability with the parts made of sheet steel,

'the rivet 19 and the "washer 18 only being oflorass. All movements "atthe pivot ,of the parts are of steel against brass which-is desirable asincreasing the useful life of=the latch. This l'atch contains-all of,the-features of merit outlin'edin the prior application for patentfiled by me, to which reference has been made, including the simplicityof action in opening and the substantial elimination of in urious strainon'thehinges .as the door is closed.

I claim:

1; In combination, a curved housing formed with a. slot in its outerportion, adepending handle having its upper-endfloca'ted over thehousing, and provided with an in wardly extending ear lying alongsideone side of the housing, meanspivotally connecting the inner end of saidearftirthe side-of the housing adjacent its inner edge, a inember on thehandle extending through the slot in the housing, a curved shoe on{said'arm bearing against the inner side of the'housing, and springmeans within thehonsing operatively associated with the handle tendingto normally force its lowerend inwardly,

substantially as'desc'ribed. I n I 2. In combination,--- a curvedhousing formed with a slot in its outer portion, a depending handlehaving its upper end located over the handle, and rovided with aninwardly extending ear lying alongside one side of said housing, meanspivotally connecting the inner end of said ear to the adj acent side ofthe housing at the inner portion thereof, a member on the handleextending inwardly through the slot in the housing, a curved bearingshoe on said arm lying closely adjacent the inner curved side of thehousing, retaining means on the housing, and a coiled spring disposedbetween an end of the shoe and said retaining means tending to force thelower end of said handle inwardly, substantially as described.

3. In combination, a housing having a curved outline and provided with aslot in its outer portion, 9. depending handle having its upper portionlocated over the housing and pivotally connected to a side of thehousing adjacent its inner edge, a member on the handle extendingthrough the slot in the housing, a bearing shoe detachably connected tosaid member and riding closely adjacent the inner curved side of thehousing, and yielding means in the housing associated with the shoenormally turning the lower end of the handle inwardly, substantially asdescribed.

4:. In combination, a housing of curved outline provided with a slot inits outer portion, a dependin handle and laterally pr0 jecting strikerlug formed from a single blank of sheet metal pivotally connected to aside of the housing adjacent its inner edge, the upper part of thehandle lying over the housing and the lug projecting laterally therefromover and substantially parallel to the axis of the pivot, said lug beingformed on its under side with an upwardly and inwardly inclined surface,a member of sheet metal permanently secured to the upper end of thehousing and extending through the slot, a bearing member on said firstmember riding against the under curved surface of the housing, and aspring in the upper portion of the housing and exerting force againstsaid bearing member, substantially as described.

5. In combination, a housing of curved outline and provided with a slotin the outer ortion thereof, a depending handle positioned with itsupper endover the housing,

an inwardly extending member at the upper end of the handle passingalongside the housing and having pivotal connection at its end to a sideof the housing adjacent the inner edge thereof, a second member attachedto the upper end of the handle and extending through said slot in thehousing, a curved shoe connected with said member inside the housing andbearing against the curved inner side thereof, said shoe being abovesaid second member and formed at its upper end with a socket, and-acoiled spring seated at one end in the socket and pressing against thesame, substantially as described.

6. In combination, a housing, a depending handle formed from sheet metaland including an integral inwardly extending ear lying along one side ofthe housing and a laterally extending striker lug the under side thereofbeing inclined upwardly and inwardly, said ear having an openingtherethrough, an annular projecting ring ressed from the metal of thecar around the opening, a washer around the ring and located between theear and side of the housing, a headed pivot passing through the openingin the ear and fixed to the side of the housing, and yielding meanswithin the housing operatively associated with the handle to normallyforce its lower end inwardly, substantially as described.

7 In combination with a curved housing having a slot in its outerportion, a depending handle having its upper end located over thehousing, and provided with an ear passing along one side of the housing,means pivotally connecting the inner end of said ear to the side of thehousing adjacent the inner edge thereof, a member attached to the upperend of the handle and passing through the slot in the housing, saidmember within the housing being formed with a curved slot extendingpartially therethrough from its upper edge, a curved shoe also partiallyslotted from its lower end located on the inner side of the housing,said slots of said member and shoe serving to detachably interlock thesame together, and a coiled spring in the upper portion of the housingpressing against the free upper end of the shoe, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ALEXANDER F. WINTERS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner or ratentl, Washington, D. 0."

